U.S. patent number 5,662,593 [Application Number 08/576,975] was granted by the patent office on 1997-09-02 for massaging appliance and cream dispenser unit therefor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to T. Top (1994) Ltd.. Invention is credited to Menahem Tillman, Avraham Topaz, Daphne Topaz.
United States Patent |
5,662,593 |
Tillman , et al. |
September 2, 1997 |
Massaging appliance and cream dispenser unit therefor
Abstract
A massaging appliance for dispensing a massaging cream includes
a cream dispenser unit attachable to the appliance housing and
coupled to a rotary motor therein to be rotated thereby, and a
non-rotatable rod within the appliance housing axially displaceable
towards and away from the dispenser housing for engagement with a
piston stem in the dispenser housing to block its rotation, and
thereby to cause a piston, within the dispenser housing and while
rotating therewith, to move axially towards an end wall in the
dispenser housing and to force cream through dispenser openings
therein.
Inventors: |
Tillman; Menahem (Hofit,
IL), Topaz; Daphne (Even Yehuda, IL),
Topaz; Avraham (Even Yehuda, IL) |
Assignee: |
T. Top (1994) Ltd. (Netanya,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
24306775 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/576,975 |
Filed: |
December 22, 1995 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
601/159; 601/113;
601/131; 601/154; 601/17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61H
15/0085 (20130101); A61H 15/02 (20130101); A61H
2015/0064 (20130101); A61H 2201/105 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61H
15/00 (20060101); A61H 15/02 (20060101); A61H
009/00 (); A61H 015/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;601/112,113,154,159,131,17 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hafer; Robert A.
Assistant Examiner: Koo; Benjamin K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Barish; Benjamin
Claims
We claim:
1. A massaging appliance for dispensing a massaging cream,
comprising: an appliance housing enclosing a rotary motor; and a
cream dispenser unit attached to said appliance housing and coupled
to said rotary motor to be rotated thereby; said cream dispenser
unit comprising: a dispenser housing rotated by said rotary motor
and having an end wall at the end thereof distal from the appliance
housing and formed with a cream dispenser opening therethrough; a
piston within the dispenser housing and normally rotated therewith
to define with said distal end wall a compartment for containing a
supply of cream to be dispensed; a piston stem threadedly receiving
said piston; and a manual control for manually stopping the
rotation of the piston stem while permitting rotation of the piston
therein to advance the piston on the piston stem, and thereby to
force cream through said dispenser opening; characterized in that
said manual control includes: a displaceable rod within said
appliance housing and axially displaceable towards and away from
said dispenser housing but not rotatable within said appliance
housing; a spring normally biassing the displaceable rod to a
retracted position within the appliance housing normally spaced
from said piston stem in the dispenser housing; and a depressible
button carried by said appliance housing for manually moving said
displaceable rod to an extended position engageable with said
piston stem in the dispenser housing, to block rotation of the
piston stem and thereby to cause the piston, while rotating with
the dispenser housing, to move axially towards said end wall and
thereby to force cream through said dispenser opening.
2. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said cream dispenser
unit is coupled to said rotary motor by a hollow shaft through
which said displaceable rod is displaced.
3. The appliance according to claim 2, wherein said hollow shaft
coupling the rotary motor to the cream dispenser unit is integrally
formed with an end wall attachable to the dispenser housing at the
end thereof proximal to the appliance housing, said end wall having
an opening centrally therethrough aligned with the piston stem
within the dispenser housing.
4. The appliance according to claim 3, wherein said dispenser
housing further includes a cylindrical side wall threadedly
attached to said proximal end wall.
5. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the engageable ends
of said displaceable rod in the appliance housing and said piston
stem in the dispenser housing include metal caps formed with radial
teeth for coupling the rods to the piston stem when the
displaceable rod is displaced into engagement with the piston
stem.
6. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said distal end wall
of the dispenser housing is formed with a central pin receivable
within a blind bore formed in the respective end of the piston stem
to serve as a rotatable bearing therefor.
7. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the outer
circumference of said piston is thickened and is formed with an
annular slot extending axially of the dispenser housing slightly
inwardly of the outer circumference of the piston on the side
thereof facing said distal end wall, to produce an elastic rim on
the piston firmly engaging the inner surface of the dispenser
housing.
8. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said distal end of
the dispenser housing is formed with a plurality of dispenser
openings each occupied by a ball for massaging the surface engaged
thereby while dispensing cream thereto.
9. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said piston stem
further includes a collar circumscribing its end and projecting
outwardly of its outer surface.
10. A cream dispenser unit for attachment to a massaging appliance
having an appliance housing enclosing a motor for rotating the
cream dispenser unit, and a manually displaceable rod receivable
within said cream dispenser unit for dispensing cream therefrom;
said cream dispenser unit comprising: a dispenser housing
attachable to said appliance housing so as to be rotated by the
motor therein; said dispenser housing including an end wall thereof
distal from the appliance housing and formed with a cream dispenser
opening therethrough; a piston within the dispenser housing and
normally rotated therewith to define, with said distal end wall, a
compartment for containing a supply of cream to be dispensed; and a
piston stem within said dispenser housing and threadedly receiving
said piston; one end of said piston stem being exposed for
engagement by the displaceable rod within the appliance housing,
when the dispenser housing is attached thereto, to block rotation
of the piston stem and thereby to cause the piston, while rotating
with the dispenser housing, to move axially towards said distal end
wall to force cream through said dispenser opening.
11. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 10, wherein said
dispenser housing further includes a cylindrical side wall formed
with threads for threadedly attaching the dispenser housing to the
appliance housing.
12. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 11, further
including a cover removably attached to the threads of said side
wall of the dispenser housing to cover the piston and piston rod
thereof when the cream dispenser unit is not attached to the
appliance housing.
13. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 12, further
including a second cover removably attached to said distal end wall
of the dispenser housing to cover the discharge opening
therethrough.
14. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 10, wherein the end
of said piston stem engageable by the displaceable rod in the
appliance housing includes a metal cap fixed to the piston stem and
formed with radial teeth engageable by mating radial teeth in the
displaceable rod.
15. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 10, wherein said
distal end wall of the dispenser housing is formed with a central
pin receivable within a blind bore formed in the respective end of
the piston stem to serve as a rotatable bearing therefor.
16. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 10, wherein the
outer circumference of said piston is thickned and is formed with
an annular slot extending axially of the dispenser housing slightly
inwardly of the outer circumference of the piston on the side
thereof facing said distal end wall to produce an elastic rim on
the piston firmly engageable with the inner surface of the
dispenser housing.
17. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 10, wherein said
distal end of the dispenser housing is formed with a plurality of
dispenser openings each occupied by a ball for massaging the
surface engaged thereby while dispensing cream thereto.
18. The cream dispenser unit according to claim 10, wherein said
piston stem further includes a collar circumscribing its end and
projecting outwardly of its outer surface.
Description
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a massaging appliance, such as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,600, for massaging the face or
other body parts while applying a massaging cream thereto. The
invention also relates to a cream dispenser unit particularly
useful with the novel massaging appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,600 discloses a massaging appliance including
an appliance housing enclosing a rotary motor; and a cream
dispenser unit attached to the appliance housing and coupled to the
rotary motor to be rotated thereby. The cream dispenser unit
comprises a dispenser housing rotated by the rotary motor and
having an end wall at the end of the dispenser housing distal from
the appliance housing and formed with cream dispenser openings
therethrough; a piston within the dispenser housing and normally
rotated therewith to define with the distal end wall a compartment
for containing a supply of the cream to be dispensed; and a piston
stem threadedly receiving the piston.
In one described embodiment, cream is dispensed via the dispenser
opening by manually rotating the dispenser housing and the piston
therein, while holding the piston stem, to thereby advance the
piston to force cream through the dispenser opening. In that
embodiment, the operation of the cream dispenser unit would have to
be interrupted in order to manually dispense cream through the
dispenser opening.
A second embodiment described in that patent includes a manual
control for manually stopping the rotation of the piston stem,
while permitting rotation of the dispenser housing and the piston
therein, to advance the piston on the piston stem and thereby to
force cream through the dispenser opening. The manual control in
that embodiment includes a ring fixed to the piston stem and
extending externally of the appliance housing so as to be
engageable by the user's finger in order to stop the rotation of
the piston stem to force cream through the dispenser opening while
the appliance is being used for massaging purposes.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a massaging appliance of the foregoing type, characterized in that
the above-mentioned manual control includes: a displaceable rod
within the appliance housing and axially displaceable towards and
away from the dispenser housing but not rotatable within the
appliance housing; a spring normally biassing the displaceable rod
to a retracted position within the appliance housing normally
spaced from the piston stem in the dispenser housing; and a
depressible button carried by the appliance housing for manually
moving the displaceable rod to an extended position engageable with
the piston stem in the dispenser housing, to block rotation of the
piston stem and thereby to cause the piston, while rotating with
the dispenser housing, to move axially towards the end wall and
thereby to force cream through the dispenser opening.
An object of the present invention is to provide a massaging
appliance of the latter type which includes a simplified manual
control for manually stopping the rotation of the piston stem,
while permitting rotation of the piston thereon, to advance the
piston on the piston stem and thereby to force cream through the
dispenser opening(s). Another object of invention is to provide a
cream dispenser unit which may be sold separately as a cream refill
unit for use with the above massaging appliance.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a cream dispenser unit for attachment to a massaging
appliance of the foregoing type, having an appliance housing
enclosing a motor for rotating the cream dispenser unit, and a
manually displaceable rod receivable within the cream dispenser
unit for dispensing cream therefrom; the cream dispenser unit
comprising: a dispenser housing attachable to the appliance housing
so as to be rotated by the motor therein; the dispenser housing
including an end wall thereof distal from the appliance housing and
formed with a cream dispenser opening therethrough; a piston within
the dispenser housing and normally rotated therewith to define,
with the distal end wall, a compartment for containing a supply of
cream to be dispensed; and a piston stem within said dispenser
housing and threadedly receiving the piston; the end of the piston
stem being exposed for engagement by the displaceable rod within
the appliance housing, when the dispenser housing is attached
thereto, to block rotation of the piston stem and thereby to cause
the piston, while rotating with the dispenser housing, to move
axially towards the distal end wall to force cream through the
dispenser opening.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the description below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates one form of massaging appliance constructed in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates the massaging appliance of FIG. 1 with parts in
section to show internal structure;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the main components of the cream
dispenser unit in the massaging appliance of FIGS. 1 and 2;
and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating only the
cream dispenser unit as it may be sold as a separate cream refill
unit for use with the appliance of FIGS. 1 and 2.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The appliance illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings includes
a appliance housing, generally designated 2, enclosing an
electrical rotary motor M manually controlled by a switch button 3
on the outer face of the housing. Appliance housing 2 further
includes step-down gearing, generally designated 4, for reducing
the rotary speed of the output shaft 5. The output shaft 5 is
integrally formed with a cover plate 6 which is rotated at a
step-down speed by motor M. Cover plate 6 includes an annular
flange 7 for attaching thereto a cream dispenser unit CDU, and is
formed with a central opening 8 cooperable with the cream dispenser
unit, as will be described more particularly below.
The cream dispenser unit CDU includes a housing 10 constituted of a
cylindrical side wall 11 formed with internal threads 12 at its end
proximal to the appliance housing 2, and with an end wall 13 distal
from the appliance housing 2. The distal end wall 13 includes a
plurality of dispenser openings 14 each occupied by a ball 15. In
the illustrated example, there are five dispenser openings 14 and
five balls 15 arranged in a circular array, all five balls being
carried by a ball cage disc 16 fixed to the inner side of the
distal end wall 13 by fasteners 17.
A piston 20 is disposed within the dispenser housing 10 to define,
with its distal end wall 13, a compartment 21 for containing a
supply of cream to be dispensed. Piston 20 is threadedly received
on a stem 22. The inner end of piston stem 22 is formed with a
blind bore 23 receiving a pin 24 integrally formed with distal end
wall 13 of the housing. Pin 24 serves as a bearing permitting
relative rotation between the piston stem 22 and the housing 11.
The opposite end of piston stem 22 (i.e., the end proximal to the
appliance housing 2) is also formed with a blind bore 25 fixedly
receiving a metal insert 26 having an enlarged head 27. Head 27 is
aligned with opening 8 in cover plate 6 of the appliance housing 2
and is circumscribed by a collar 28 fixed to, or integrally formed
wth, piston stem 22.
The output rotary shaft 5, integral with the cover plate 6, is
hollow and receives a displaceable metal rod 30 aligned with
central opening 8 in the cover plate 6, and also with head 27 of
the metal insert 26 fixed to piston stem 22 within the dispenser
housing 10. Displaceable rod 30 is formed at one end with a head 31
engageable with head 27 of metal insert 26. The opposite end of rod
30 is fixed by a block 32 to a depressible button 33 normally flush
with the outer surface of the appliance housing 2. Rod 30 is
normally biassed to its retracted position (as shown in FIG. 2) by
a spring 34 between block 32 and a fixed sleeve 35 enclosing hollow
shaft 5, but may be manually moved to its extended position by
depressing push button 33. When rod 30 is thus moved to its
extended position, its head 31 engages head 27 of the metal insert
26 in the dispenser housing 10. Rod 30 is thus axially displaceable
but not rotatably movable, within the appliance housing 2.
Head 27 of insert 26 is formed with radial teeth 27', and similarly
head 31 of displaceable rod 30 is formed with radial teeth 31'
engageable with teeth 27' of insert 27 in the extended position of
the displaceable rod. Collar 28, at the upper end of piston stem 22
and circumscribing head 27 of insert 26, projects outwardly of the
outer surface of head 27 and thus prevents engagement of head 27 by
head 31 of the displaceble rod 30 except in the extended position
of rod 30.
Piston 20 within the dispenser housing 10 is formed with internal
threads 40 threadedly received on external threads 41 formed in
piston stem 22. The outer circumference of piston 20 is thickend,
as shown at 43, but is formed with an annular slot 44 extending
axially of the piston on the side facing the cream compartment 21,
so as to provide an elastic rim 45 firmly pressing against the
inner surface of dispenser housing 10. This normally causes piston
20, and piston stem 22 carried thereby, to rotate with the
dispenser housing 10 so that the piston normally remains at the
same axial position with respect to the dispenser housing. However,
when piston stem 22 is blocked from rotation, by the displaceable
rod 30 as will be described more particularly below, rotation of
the dispenser housing 10 with the piston 20 therein causes the
piston to move axially along the piston stem to thereby force cream
from compartment 21 through the dispenser openings 14 in the distal
end wall 13 of the dispenser housing.
The manner of using the appliance illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 will be
apparent from the above description.
Thus, piston 20 within the dispenser housing 10 would initially be
remote from distal end wall 13 of the dispenser housing so as to
define a large compartment 21 for the cream to be dispensed. When
dispenser housing 10 is attached by its threads 12 to cover plate 6
of the appliance housing 2, operation of the motor, by closing
switch 3, will cause the dispenser housing 10, as well as the
piston 20 within it, to rotate at a relatively slow speed. As the
dispenser housing is thus rotated, the user gently presses end wall
13 of the housing against the body part to be massaged, preferably
while also applying a circular movement to the housing, to produce
a good massaging action as some cream is picked up and dispensed
via the dispensing openings 14 by the balls 15.
Whenever the user wishes to contract the cream compartment 21 in
order to force more cream through the dispenser openings 14, the
user would depress button 33 to move rod 30 to its extended
position, projecting through opening 8 in the cover plate 6 and to
engage head 27 of insert 26 fixed to the piston stem 22. This
blocks the piston stem from rotating, so that rotation of the
piston 20 with the dispenser housing 10 moves the piston axially to
contract compartment 21 and thus to force out more cream from the
dispenser openings 14.
As indicated earlier, it is contemplated that the cream dispenser
units would be produced and supplied as separate refill units to be
attached to the appliance. FIG. 4 illustrates a cream dispenser
unit as would be supplied to the consumer. In such a unit, the
piston 20 is in its maximum extended position to provide a
compartment 21 of maximum volume for the cream to be dispensed. In
addition, the piston side of the dispenser housing is provided with
a cover 50 removably applied via threads 12 in one end of the
dispenser housing side wall 11 for closing that side of the
dispenser housing, and with a second cover 51 removably applied via
threads 52 in the opposite end of the dispenser housing side wall
for removably closing the discharge openings 14 in the distal end
wall 13 of the dispenser housing.
While the invention has been described with respect to one
preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that this is set forth
merely for purposes of example, and that many other variations,
modifications and applications of the invention may be made.
* * * * *